Well, yesterday I went to Infineon Raceway http://www.infineonraceway.com/ for the Savemart 350. Well actually the Bluelizard 200 Winston West race is what I saw, the Savemart 350 was today. I watched it from my couch. Anyway, it was a darn good time. If any of you haven't gotten out to Sonoma to see one it was pretty cool. I have to see one on the big banked oval though! The "seats" were hard as a rock (well, they WERE contrete) and there is a LOT of down time between events, bring a pad to sit on and a deck of cards. Oh yeah, and bring LOTS of drinks and food or LOTS of money. Four small bottles of Sprite and two bottles of water cost me $24.00. Anyway, it was a great time with my boy and my nephew.

I got to go and hang out there during qualifying for a cup race back in 1997. I really enjoyed being able to just walk around and take in all the different vantage points. Really nice facility. If you have a decent camera there are some great vantage points for souvenir pictures.

I have pictures from the exact same area, and several others, during a Cup race in 1991. I will have to see if I can find them and post a couple to show the changes over the years.
They have made many improvements since I was last there. The only one I don't like was when they shortened the course.
It is nice they will let you take drinks in there. I used to have season tickets to KC, but let them go, too greedy. You couldn't even walk through the gate with a bottle of water.
Cool, that you had a good time.

I am surprised this thread hasn't been filled with the old nascar sucks routine. I was at MIchigan last weekend and had a blast. I was watching on TV yesterday wondering what it would be like to be at a road course. Is it as good as an oval?

I am surprised this thread hasn't been filled with the old nascar sucks routine. I was at MIchigan last weekend and had a blast. I was watching on TV yesterday wondering what it would be like to be at a road course. Is it as good as an oval?

I don't think the ovals can compare to a road course, something about seeing a 3400lb car on two wheels coming off of the rumble strips in the turns. Turning left and right, running through the gears.
From 1986 through 2004 my wife and I went to at least one race a year. Then along came Brian France and it went to cr-p, lucky dogs, chase for the championship, car of tomorrow's, cars with nothing in common with the showroom vehicles, and out with the racing/in with the entertainment, and I could go on. On a scale of 1 to 10, my interest is now a 2 when it used to be a 10. I now have a lot more interest in sports car racing.

I am surprised this thread hasn't been filled with the old nascar sucks routine.

And now you've opened the floodgates.

But seriously from what I saw at the road course it is a lot of fun to watch but you need to find the right corner for good passing action and since you can't see all the track there are a few dead spots, til they spread out a bit. Really cool seeing those cars tossed around like they do.

I keep saying that I want to go to Watkin's Glen but the access via our 'great' NY State highway system is so poor that all I can imagine is being stuck for hours on one of the two 2 lanes leading into that area or being grid locked by one of the three, I believe, traffic lights in the village. Since it is in the NY Finger Lakes wine country, my wife and I usually go wine tasting yearly on a non race weekend - though we did see part of a sporty car event with virtually no spectators a couple of years ago. It is in a beautiful setting and even has trees and farmland bordering the track which from all appearances, are absent at Sonoma.
Dave

You can see the view from your seats at Sears point, not that great, but not bad either. Now, just a little out of the sight of the camera in these shots, some of the most stunning views on earth. I used to go to many of the towns in this area on business. I never got tired of coming from the bottom of Clear lake, right as you crest the hills you get a view out across hundreds of acres of vinyards, just beautiful. This is all just a hop skip and a jump from the track. In fact, the nephew that I took had never been over there. I took him the other route back home where you go over and meet hwy 101 in San Rafeal. You pass a number of small dairy farms and just beautiful scenery. Then over the San Rafeal bridge at the top of the SF bay looking out across it to the SF skyline....I never get tired of the sights around here. It is a beautiful place.

[QUOTE=MARTINSR]You can see the view from your seats at Sears point, not that great, but not bad either. Now, just a little out of the sight of the camera in these shots, some of the most stunning views on earth. I used to go to many of the towns in this area on business. I never got tired of coming from the bottom of Clear lake, right as you crest the hills you get a view out across hundreds of acres of vinyards, just beautiful. This is all just a hop skip and a jump from the track. In fact, the nephew that I took had never been over there. I took him the other route back home where you go over and meet hwy 101 in San Rafeal. You pass a number of small dairy farms and just beautiful scenery. Then over the San Rafeal bridge at the top of the SF bay looking out across it to the SF skyline....I never get tired of the sights around here. It is a beautiful place.

Brian

Brian,
I'm not "picking" on the track - it's just that when the cameras pan the track it looks very stark and dry. Since I have actually been to the Napa Valley (an Easterner admitting to have been to the West Coast !!) am aware of its beauty. The attached show some of the Watkin's Glen area.

I don't think the ovals can compare to a road course, something about seeing a 3400lb car on two wheels coming off of the rumble strips in the turns. Turning left and right, running through the gears.
From 1986 through 2004 my wife and I went to at least one race a year. Then along came Brian France and it went to cr-p, lucky dogs, chase for the championship, car of tomorrow's, cars with nothing in common with the showroom vehicles, and out with the racing/in with the entertainment, and I could go on. On a scale of 1 to 10, my interest is now a 2 when it used to be a 10. I now have a lot more interest in sports car racing.

I am basically in the same boat. Used to love to watch it, but now..... well....

However, I have gained some interest back in roundy-round racing. A local (within an hour of where I grew up anyway) kid is making some pretty big waves in the ARCA Series. We drive past his team shop nearly every time we go to my old area. For only being 20, and a sophomore year driver in the ARCA series, I'd say Dexter Bean will go on to become a fixture in the sport of auto racing. He led the most laps, and went on to finish second in Pocono a few weeks ago.

I watched on TV.... I watch everything with 4 wheels that races, and I have to say that was the best race I have seen in a couple years. It was fun to watch the better all-round racers slowly rise to the top....

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